Two New Ideas about Pompeii:
1. The people of Herculaneum and Pompeii died instantly of thermal shock (900 degree F cloud), not from slow suffocation as scientists once believed.
2. The eruption was 19 hours long on Aug. 25th A.D. 79 and consisted of spews of rock and ash, NOT lava.

One navigational strategy I used to locate information:
On the awesome stories website I clicked on the words and instead of getting a definition or a link to another website, you viewed actual pictures from Pompeii. Some examples are the picture of the water tower and indoor plumbing.

One reliable source:
The Discovery Channel Website. I know this site is reliable because the information is copyrighted and Discovery Channel is a well known and well respected information network.
http://kids.discovery.com/ads/ad_interstitial_fill1.html?dest=http:kids.discovery.com/games/pompeii/pompeii.html

One informational feature:
On the National Geographic site I found the map of Mt. Vesuvius, Herculaneum and Pompeii to be appropriate for fourth graders. It showed the distance between each of the locations and some surrounding landmarks, which allows students to gain a better understanding of where in the world Pompeii actually is.

Lesson Idea
Understanding the
Real Pompeii

Internet Researcher: Date:

Objectives: Students will explore the two websites on Pompeii by visiting, reading, and interacting with the text and pictures. They will then use the knowledge they have gained to make connections between the book
Vacation Under the Volcano// and the new information they have learned, by answering the following questions.

  1. Go to the bookmark I have set at the Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption Photo Gallery
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/gallery_3.asp View the pictures of the casts. What do the people in the casts and those on page 55 of Vacation Under the Volcano have in common? Are there bodies positioned similarly or differently? What might this show about what they were doing when they died?


  1. At the same book mark click on the link “Pompeii” Read about the rich arts in Pompeii and the frescoes that were very popular. Use this reading, the gallery of frescoes, and any illustrations or descriptions you can find in Vacation Under the Volcano to create one of your own drawing/painting of destruction of the city in its last hours.


  1. Now go to http://www.awesomestories.com/disasters/pompeii/pompeii_ch1.htm and read Ch. 4 “Warning Signs”. What were some of the warning signs in Pompeii? How many days before the eruption could they be felt?


  1. Use the information you found in question three to explain what you would have done if you lived in Pompeii in 79 A.D. Compare this with a partner and determine either which of the two plans would be most successful, or include aspects of each plan to make a new and improved one.









Rubric:
8 pts- you responded to each of the questions in a thoughtful manor.
2 pts- you and your partner shared your final answer to question #4 with the class.
/10 pts